Flexible connection



June 25, 1935. c. SAURER FLEXIBLE CONNECTION Fi'led Feb. 12, 1932 \NIAWIAQ Q INVENTOR (lurk Same? ATTORNEYS Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLEXIBLE CONNECTION Curt Saurer, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Qhio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 12-, 1932, Serial No. 592,555

6 Claims. (01.287-85) This invention relates to flexible connections at IZ Figure 3, so as to overlie the base margin such as are provided for the joints or hinges of -of the cup, whereby relative movement of the articulated structures. cup and socket is prevented. The marginal por- The invention is especially useful in associations of the socket H at the opposite end thereof tion with the steering mechanism of motor veare upset Swaged as vShown a Figure 5 hicles, which mechanism heretofore usually has so as to compress the rubber I6 and cause some comprised at least one universal joint of the ball of it to bulge over the end of the socket as shown and socket type. Such joints require lubrication, at I9, whereby strong frictional engagement berequire means for taking up wear, and frequently tween the rubber and the socket is secured, and

10 prematurely fail because of the entrance of am; the entrance of dust and grit between the rubber m and grit. and the socket is prevented.

The chief objects of this invention are to pro- The invention provides a joint connection vide a flexible connection that will function in t at eq I10 lubrication, 1101 can i 01 di t he manner of a ball and socket joint, yet ha reach its working parts. The connection has few none of the disadvantages thereof; to provide a p t requires adjustment, and has 110 Parts 15 flexible connection that is simple in construction; that are subject to wear due to friction. The to provide a connection that absorbs rather than yielding nature of the rubber Permits limited transmits vibration; and to provide a connection axial and l a movement of the d l5 W that yieldingly urges its associated structure toby the connection, when used with the steering ward a determinate normal position, More spemechanism of motor vehicles, absorbs road shocks 20 cific objects are to avoid the need for lubricad prevents their transmission to the driver tion; to obviate the need for adjustment due to u h th st column h up M and wear; and to provide a flexible connection which ubb r 6 So Strongly engage the Socket that is not aiiected by dust and grit. relative angular movement of the links ill, H Of the accompanying drawing: through substantially 90 degrees is possible with- 25 Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved flexible ut aus n s pp between e Socket and up connection, in its preferred form; or rubber, and without tearing the rubber from Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; and the metal members to which it is vulcanized.- Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig- Moreover, the rubber member of the connection ure 1. when placed under tension by relative angular 30 Referring to the drawing, II), II are tw d movement of the links In, H, yieldingly urges the or links constituting a part of an articulated P t back toward & determinate normal P structure, and I2 is a tubular socket or reception, which feature gives the connectionadecided tacle integrally formed on an end of rod I0 and advantage Over Ordinary ball and Socket nnecconstituting a part of the flexible connection by tiOnS W used in motor Vehicle Steering 5 35 which the rods are joined. Mounted in the socket tems- I2 is a unit comprising a cup-shaped metal Sti Modification may be resorted to without deture M, a threaded stud I5 disposed co-axially partin f m the spirit o the nti r th thereof, andavulcanized rubber structure I6 that Scop of the pp Claims, Which are ot is vulcanized to the interior of the cup l4 and limited Wholly to the specific n ru tion shown 40 to a portion of the stud {5. That portion of the and describedstud l5 that is embedded in the rubber I6 is at is C aimed is! formed with a flange or head I5 and with a, 1. In a flexible connection, the combination of knurled shank or shoulder l5 adjacent thereto, a pair of relatively movable members, a substanthe arrangement providing a secure union of the tially cy al Socket 011 one Of Said members, 45 stud and the rubber. The exposed portion of the a rubber member in said socket frictionally restud I5 is tapered as at 5 so as firmly to engage strained from movement relative thereto, and a in a complementally taperedbore in the end porstud on the other of said members, said stud havtion of the rod or link II, the latter being reing a substantially cylindrical body and a termitained on the stud by a nut IT. The nut I 7 may nal rib embedded in said rubber member and vul- 50 be a castle nut that is restrained against rotation canized thereto, the cylindrical body of the stud by the usual cotter pin l8. permitting substantial relative rotation of the The cup M has a force fit with the bore of socket with respect to theaxis of said stud but perthe socket l2, and the adjacent marginal pormitting only a slight degree of rotation of the 5 tions of the socket are swaged or upset, as shown socket in axes at an angle to the axis of the stud.

stud.

2. In a flexible connection, the combination of a pair of members relatively angularly movable in parallel planes, a substantially cylindrical socket, a structure comprising rubber mounted therein under initial compression and frictionally engaging the inner surface thereof, and a stud having one end formed with a substantially cylindrical head embedded in and vulcanized to said rubber structure, the socket being adapted for attachment to one of said relatively movable members and the stud to the other of said members, the cylindrical body of the stud permitting substantial relative rotation of the socket with respect to the axis of said stud but permitting only a slight degree of rotation of the socket in axes at an angle to the axis of the stud.

3. In a flexible connection, the combination of tubular socket, a metal cup, a generally cylindrical rubber structure mounted in said cup and vulcanized thereto, and a stud in said rubber structure vulcanized thereto and projecting axially from one end thereof, said cup and rubber structure being fixedly retained in the socket, the socket and stud being adapted for connection to respective relatively movable members.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3 in which the end portions of the socket are swaged so as to confine the cup and compress the rubber structure therein.

5. In a flexible connection, the combination of a tubular socket, a generally cylindrical rubber structure, a metal cap vulcanized on one end of the latter, and a threaded stud mounted axially of the rubber structure and vulcanized therein with the threaded portion disposed exteriorly thereof, the metal cap having a force fit in the socket, and the rubber structure being mounted in the socket and compressed so as frictionally to engage the wall thereof.

6. A combination as defined in claim 5 in which one end of the socket is swaged or upset so as to confine the cup and the other end of the socket is upset so as to compress the rubber structure.

CURT SAURER. 

